Polybius, Histories

Translation

Book 39 - Chapter 1

<head lang="la">A. Olymp. 158, 3. I. Res Graeciae</head><w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Aau%29%3Dlos">Αὖλος</w> <w lemma="%2Aposto%2Fmios">Ποστόμιος</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fcios">ἄξιος</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgonen">γέγονεν</w> <w lemma="e%29pishmasi%2Fas">ἐπισημασίας</w> <w lemma="a%29penteu%3Dqen">ἀπεντεῦθεν</w>.

<w lemma="oi%29ki%2Fas">οἰκίας</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnous">γένους</w> <w lemma="prw%2Ftou">πρώτου</w>, <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="stwmu%2Flos">στωμύλος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="la%2Flos">λάλος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Frperos">πέρπερος</w> <w lemma="diafero%2Fntws">διαφερόντως</w>.

<w lemma="e%29piqumh%2Fsas">ἐπιθυμήσας</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pai%2Fdwn">παίδων</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikh%3Ds">Ἑλληνικῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29gwgh%3Ds">ἀγωγῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diale%2Fktou">διαλέκτου</w> <w lemma="polu%5Cs">πολὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katakorh%2Fs">κατακορής</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnon">ἐκεῖνον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ai%28%2Fresin">αἵρεσιν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikh%5Cn">Ἑλληνικὴν</w> <w lemma="prosko%2Fyai">προσκόψαι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="presbute%2Frois">πρεσβυτέροις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29ciologwta%2Ftois">ἀξιολογωτάτοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>,

<w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="poi%2Fhma">ποίημα</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffein">γράφειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pragmatikh%5Cn">πραγματικὴν</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fan">ἱστορίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29nexei%2Frhsen">ἐνεχείρησεν</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="prooimi%2Fou">προοιμίου</w> <w lemma="pareka%2Flei">παρεκάλει</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29ntugxa%2Fnontas">ἐντυγχάνοντας</w> <w lemma="suggnw%2Fmhn">συγγνώμην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Dos">Ῥωμαῖος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnhtai">δύνηται</w> <w lemma="katakratei%3Dn">κατακρατεῖν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikh%3Ds">Ἑλληνικῆς</w> <w lemma="diale%2Fktou">διαλέκτου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="xeirismo%5Cn">χειρισμὸν</w> <w lemma="oi%29konomi%2Fas">οἰκονομίας</w>.

<w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%2Fws">οἰκείως</w> <w lemma="a%29phnthke%2Fnai">ἀπηντηκέναι</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="%2Ama%2Frkos">Μάρκος</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Frkios">Πόρκιος</w> <w lemma="%2Aka%2Ftwn:">Κάτων·</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fzein">θαυμάζειν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffh">ἔφη</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fna">τίνα</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dtai">ποιεῖται</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="parai%2Fthsin">παραίτησιν</w>.

<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29amfiktuo%2Fnwn">Ἀμφικτυόνων</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fdrion">συνέδριον</w> <w lemma="sune%2Ftatte">συνέταττε</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffein">γράφειν</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fan">ἱστορίαν</w>, <w lemma="i%29%2Fsws">ἴσως</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="profe%2Fresqai">προφέρεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraitei%3Dsqai:">παραιτεῖσθαι·</w>

<w lemma="mhdemia%3Ds">μηδεμιᾶς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkhs">ἀνάγκης</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fshs">οὔσης</w> <w lemma="e%29qelonth%5Cn">ἐθελοντὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29pogra%2Fyasqai">ἀπογράψασθαι</w> <w lemma="ka%29%2Fpeita">κἄπειτα</w> <w lemma="paraitei%3Dsqai">παραιτεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="suggnw%2Fmhn">συγγνώμην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="barbari%2Fzh%7C">βαρβαρίζῃ</w>,

<w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%28pa%2Fshs">ἁπάσης</w> <w lemma="a%29topi%2Fas">ἀτοπίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="shmei%3Don">σημεῖον</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fws">παραπλησίως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fxrhston">ἄχρηστον</w> <w lemma="w%28sanei%2F">ὡσανεί</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="gumnikou%5Cs">γυμνικοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%3Dnas">ἀγῶνας</w> <w lemma="a%29pograya%2Fmenos">ἀπογραψάμενος</w> <w lemma="pugmh%5Cn">πυγμὴν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="pagkra%2Ftion">παγκράτιον</w>, <w lemma="parelqw%5Cn">παρελθὼν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sta%2Fdion">στάδιον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="de%2Foi">δέοι</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxesqai">μάχεσθαι</w>, <w lemma="paraitoi%3Dto">παραιτοῖτο</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="qewme%2Fnous">θεωμένους</w> <w lemma="suggnw%2Fmhn">συγγνώμην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnhtai">δύνηται</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Fnon">πόνον</w> <w lemma="u%28pome%2Fnein">ὑπομένειν</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="plhga%2Fs">πληγάς</w>.

<w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%5Cs">εἰκὸς</w> <w lemma="ge%2Flwta">γέλωτα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dton">τοιοῦτον</w> <w lemma="o%29flei%3Dn">ὀφλεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="di%2Fkhn">δίκην</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="xeiro%5Cs">χειρὸς</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein:">λαμβάνειν·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fper">ὅπερ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftous">τοιούτους</w> <w lemma="i%28storiogra%2Ffous">ἱστοριογράφους</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="kateto%2Flmwn">κατετόλμων</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontos">ἔχοντος</w>.

<w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fws">παραπλησίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fon">βίον</w> <w lemma="e%29zhlw%2Fkei">ἐζηλώκει</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="xei%2Frista">χείριστα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikw%3Dn:">Ἑλληνικῶν·</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="filh%2Fdonos">φιλήδονος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fugo%2Fponos">φυγόπονος</w>.

<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstai">ἔσται</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nestw%2Ftwn:">ἐνεστώτων·</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dtos">πρῶτος</w> <w lemma="parw%5Cn">παρὼν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ella%2Fda">Ἑλλάδα</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cn">καιρὸν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2Afwki%2Fdi">Φωκίδι</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhn">μάχην</w>, <w lemma="skhya%2Fmenos">σκηψάμενος</w> <w lemma="a%29sqe%2Fneian">ἀσθένειαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Aqh%2Fbas">Θήβας</w> <w lemma="a%29nexw%2Frhsen">ἀνεχώρησεν</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="metasxei%3Dn">μετασχεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnou:">κινδύνου·</w>

<w lemma="suntelesqei%2Fshs">συντελεσθείσης</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxhs">μάχης</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dtos">πρῶτος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fgraye">ἔγραψε</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="sugklh%2Ftw%7C">συγκλήτῳ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="katorqw%2Fmatos">κατορθώματος</w>, <w lemma="prosdiasafw%3Dn">προσδιασαφῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="metesxhkw%5Cs">μετεσχηκὼς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cs">αὐτὸς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%2Fnwn">ἀγώνων</w>. —

<head>I. Affairs of Greece.</head>Aulus Postumius was a man deserving of mention for the following reason.

He was a member of one of the first families, but naturally wordy, loquacious, and vainglorious to excess.

From childhood he had set his heart on acquiring Greek culture and the Greek tongue, and in both he was too much of an adept, so much so that it was partly his fault that admiration for Greece became offensive in the eyes of the older and more distinguished Romans.

He even went so far as to attempt to write in Greek a poem and a serious history, in the preface to which he begs his readers to excuse him, if, as a Roman, he has not a complete mastery of the Greek language and their method of treating the subject.

Marcus Porcius Cato answered him, as I think, very properly on the subject. For he said he wondered what reason he had for making this apology.

Had he indeed been ordered by the Amphictyonic Council to write a history, possibly he would have been justified in speaking thus and offering excuses;

but to undertake of his own accord and under no compulsion to write a history, and then to beg to be pardoned for his barbarisms, was obviously ludicrous, and served just as little purpose, as if a man who had entered his name at the games for the boxing-contest or the pancration, upon appearing in the stadium, when the time came for the fight, were to beg the spectators to pardon him if he could not support the labour of the tussle or the blows.

For it is evident that such a man would certainly be ridiculed and receive summary punishment; and so should such historians have been treated, to prevent them from such audacious disregard of the proprieties.

This man in the rest of his behaviour likewise had adopted the worst vices of the Greeks. For he was both fond of pleasure and averse to toil,

as will be evident from the actual facts. On his very first appearance, indeed, in Greek parts, when the battle in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Phocis&groupId=892&placeId=1606">Phocis</a> took place, he feigned indisposition and retired to Thebes so as not to have to take part in the fight,

and when it was over he was the first to write to the senate about the victory, adding abundance of detail as if he had himself taken part in the engagement.

Walbank Commentary

Overview

39.1.1 - 39.1.12

A. Postumius Albinus This excerpt from de uirt. et uit. (with Suidas at §§ 2–9 and § 8) may fall in book xxxviii; the occasion on which P. introduced this sketch is uncertain (see pp. 49–50).

Specifics

39.1.1 - 39.1.1

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Αὖλος Ποστόμιος</w>:</emph> A. Postumius A.f. A.n. Albinus served under L. Aemilius Paullus against Perseus, taking part in an embassy to him on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a> (Livy, xlv. 4. 7); later he was put in charge of the king after his surrender (Livy, xlv. 28. 11). As praetor urbanus in 155, he was responsible for the continued detention of the Achaeans (xxxiii. 1. 3–8), and thereby won P.'s dislike; and in 154 he took part in an embassy, which brought the war between Prusias and Attalus to an end (xxxiii. 13. 4). As consul in 151 (xxxv. 3. 7 n.) he came into conflict with the tribunes over the Spanish levy (Livy, ep. 48). Postumius was sent on a diplomatic mission to Greece in 146 at the time of Metellus' command and before Mummius' arrival (§ 11); after Mummius' victory he held senior status in the Commission of Ten sent out to assist the latter in the organization of Greece (Cic. Att. xiii. 30. 2, 32. 3). For his high rank in the Commission see Insch. Olymp. 322 and SEG, i. 152, an equestrian statue at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delphi&groupId=534&placeId=363">Delphi</a> inscribed <w lang="el-GR">Ἁ πόλις τῶν Δελφῶν Πο[στόμιον Ἀλ]βεῖνον, τὸν ἑαυτᾶς πάτρω[να καὶ εὐ]εργέταν ὑπὲρ τᾶς τῶν Ἑλλ[άνων ἐλευθερ]ίας Ἀπόλλωνι Πυ[θίωι]</w>. Whether he was in charge is doubtful; the leader was more probably L. Aurelius Orestes (cf. xxxviii. 9. 1, 9. 6). See De Sanctis, iv. 3. 157–8; Mnzer, RE, 'Postumius (31)', cols. 902–8; Lehmann, 374–7. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">οἰκίας . . . καὶ γένους πρώτου</w>:</emph> his father was A. Postumius Albinus Luscus, cos. 180 (cf. xxv. 6. 6 n.); for other eminent Postumii Albini see Mnzer, RE, 'Postumius (46)', col. 925.

39.1.2 - 39.1.2

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">στωμύλος καὶ λάλος καὶ πέρπερος</w>:</emph> for the same charge against the grammarian Isocrates see xxxii. 2. 5; P. believed it to be a feminine characteristic to be <w lang="el-GR">λάλος</w> (xxxi. 26. 10). <milestone unit="page" n="726">[726]</milestone>

39.1.3 - 39.1.3

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πολὺς . . . καὶ κατακορής</w>:</emph> <w lang="el-GR">κατακορής</w> implies the sort of excessive enthusiasm that makes a man a bore; P. uses it of Isocrates and also of women (see previous note). It was a similar excess as hellenophile which precipitated Scaevola's attack on T. Albucius (recorded from Lucilius by Cic. fin. i. 9) and Albucius' unsuccessful prosecution of Scaevola for extortion (Cic. Brut. 102; de or. ii. 281).

39.1.4 - 39.1.4

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ποίημα γράφειν καὶ πραγματικὴν ἱστορίαν ἐνεχείρησεν</w>:</emph> of the poem nothing is known, and of the history very little. Peter, HRR, i. 53–54, quotes two fragments from what was evidently a Latin version; one concerns the early Brutus and the other Aeneaswhich hardly fits a contemporary political and military history, which is what P. means by <w lang="el-GR">πραγματικὴ ἱστορία</w> (see Vol. I, p. 8 n. 6; Vol. II, p. 628; Polybius, 56–57; Pdech, Mthode, 21–32). Cicero rates Postumius' literary qualities higher; writing of his history he calls him doctum sane hominem (Ac. pr. ii. 137), and in Brut. 81 he is et litteratus et disertus. He was also persona idonea for the political dialogue contemplated in Att. xiii. 32. 3. See further Peter, HRR, i. cxxiv–cxxvi; H. Bardon, La Littrature latine inconnue (Paris, 1952), i. 72. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παρεκάλει . . . συγγνώμην ἔχειν</w>:</emph> such an apology from someone writing in Greek was perhaps little more than a commonplace; cf. Cic. Att. i. 19. 10, on the commentary on his consulship Graece compositum, 'in quo si quid erit quod homini Attico minus Graecum eruditumque uideatur . . . me imprudente eri\?\ et inuito.' Cicero there mentions a remark of Lucullus de suis historiis, to the effect that 'se quo facilius illas probaret Romani hominis esse idcirco barbara quaedam et <w lang="el-GR">σόλοικα</w> dispersisse'. For another example cf. Fronto, ep. graec. i. 242 Naber, (cf. Norden, Antike Kunstprosa <emph rend="superscript">3</emph> (Leipzig, 1915), i. 363 f.). It was Cato's comment that drew popular ridicule on Postumius; see Mnzer, RE, 'Postumius (31)', col. 907.

39.1.5 - 39.1.5

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">οἰκεί?ως ἀπηντηκέναι . . . Μάρκος Πόρκι</w></emph> 〈 <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ος Κάτ</w></emph> 〉 <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ων</w>:</emph> on Cato see xix. 1. 1 n., xxxi. 25. 5 a n. His remark may reflect disapproval of the senatorial tradition of writing Roman history in Greek, against which his own Origines was a counterblast (cf. Scullard, Pol. <emph rend="superscript">2</emph> 238–9). The remark became famous: cf. Gell. xi. 8. 4, quoting Nepos, de ill. uir. xiii (fg. 55 Malc. <emph rend="superscript">3</emph> ); Macrob. Sat. praef. 14; Plut. Cato mai. 12. 5; Mor. 199 E–F. But it seems useless to speculate on whether P. heard Cato actually say it (Kienast, 114–15).

39.1.6 - 39.1.6

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸ τῶν Ἀμφικτυόνων συνέδριον κτλ</w>.:</emph> mentioned simply as a body of great authority; it had no connection with literature (as Freeman, HFG, 110, supposes).

39.1.8 - 39.1.8

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">παγκράτιον</w>:</emph> a mixture of wrestling and boxing; cf. Philostr. Gymn. 11, <w lang="el-GR">συγκείμενον ἐξ ἀτελοῦς πάλης καὶ ἀτελοῦς πυγμῆς</w>. See Gthner, RE, 'Pankration', cols. 619–25.

39.1.9 - 39.1.9

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος</w>:</emph> 'the proprieties'; cf. xxviii. 7. 10.

39.1.11 - 39.1.11

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐνεστώτων</w>:</emph> cf. xviii. 13. 7 n. <milestone unit="page" n="727">[727]</milestone> <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν ἐν Φωκίδι μάχην</w>:</emph> when Metellus turned back from Thebes to deal with the synteleia of Patrae (146); see xxxviii. 16. 4 n. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">εἰς Θήβας ἀνεχώρησεν</w>:</emph> this allegation cannot be proved or disproved; but it was perhaps no part of Postumius' duties as legatus to become actively involved in military operations.

39.1.12 - 39.1.12

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">πρῶτος ἔγραψε τῇ συγκλήτῳ</w>:</emph> quite correctly, as the highest ranking Roman in Greece until the arrival of the consul, L. Mummius (cf. Mnzer, RE, 'Postumius (31)', col. 905).

Polybius, Histories

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Walbank Commentary

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